WILD DUCKS 149 



Hence a good way to get wildfowl breeding abundantly 

 on a suitable large wild area, properly protected, is to keep 

 a nucleus of captive ducks, especially mallards, breed them, 

 and liberate some of the young, which will breed naturally 

 in the vicinity. This will draw other ducks and induce them 

 to breed. The captive breeding-stock will be kept strong 

 by new infusion of wild blood, for wild drakes in the vicinity 

 will fly into the wire enclosures and mate with the pinioned 

 or wing-cUpped females. 



Such estates as the above are doing great public service 

 in restoring and increasing valuable species of wildfowl in 

 regions where they have long been on the verge of extermina- 

 tion. The overflow from these places breed in other suitable 

 locaHties, and tend to restock whole States. 



An English Breeding Method. A remarkably ingenious 

 method for making wild ducks breed has been worked out 

 in England through experiments by enthusiasts who have 

 gone far ahead of us here in America. An account of this 

 method is given in The Estate Magazine, published in Eng- 

 land, November, 191 1. Evidently it is well-known in Eng- 

 land, and it was elaborated for us by Lord William Percy 

 during a recent visit to this country. Mr. Walcott, during 

 a recent trip to England, saw the results of it in full opera- 

 tion. On certain large estates he saw nests galore with eggs 

 of many species of wild ducks. 



The method employed is as follows : In the fall migration 

 large numbers of wild ducks, even thousands, are caught by 

 funnel-shaped net traps, into which the flocks of ducks swim, 

 attracted by bait and live decoys. The wild birds are caught, 

 one wing is cHpped, and they are put for the winter into 

 fenced enclosures. In these there may be a small shallow 

 pond, or simply holes dug in the marshy ground, in which a 

 little water will gather. The flight feathers are renewed 



